Free Web NovelChapter 33: Chapter 33: Ice Heart Bone Tempering Orchid
A Steward Disciple escorted Zhao Yuan from the hunting grounds and back to the viewing platform.
Seeing that he was injured but his breathing was steady, Yang Wei breathed a sigh of relief. After dismissing everyone else, he asked in a low, serious voice what had happened.
Zhao Yuan briefly recounted Wu Xiao’s ambush and how Liang Cheng had appeared to save him. When he mentioned that Liang Cheng had followed Zhou Hu into the core area, Yang Wei’s expression darkened.
"Reckless!" A complex look flashed in his eyes. He knew Zhou Hu would risk danger to break through to Transformation Force, but he never expected Liang Cheng to follow without a moment’s hesitation.
After a moment of silence, he waved his hand. "So be it. Since it was his own decision, we can’t blame anyone. You just focus on recovering."
"Remember, as for the matter with Wu Xiao, just act like you know nothing. Thankfully, Liang Cheng is reliable and got you away from the scene, so no one knows you were the ones who did it."
But after he left, his gaze couldn’t help but turn toward the core area of Lie Mountain Valley.
’Zhou Hu, Liang Cheng, you have to come back safely!’
...
Liang Cheng didn’t rush into the core area. Instead, he sorted through the belongings of Wu Xiao and his men: a Beast-Eared Demon Core Spirit Grass and a map.
A red circle was drawn in the southwest region of the core area.
"Ling·Cold Pool."
’Looks like a lot of people used some tricks to get information in advance for this Spring Hunt.’
He wasn’t bothered by it. ’When was the world ever fair?’
After Liang Cheng finished organizing the items, the points in his bag were now absolutely number one. ’Crime pays, as they say. The ancients were right.’
Liang Cheng calmed himself and hurried southwest. The deeper he went, the more treacherous the mountain terrain became.
Meanwhile, Zhou Hu had tracked the Cold Jade Flood Dragon to a huge cavern. At the bottom was a pool of deep, jade-green water, so profound its bottom was not visible. Growing by the edge of the pool was a small cluster of Ice Crystal Orchids.
The Ice Heart Bone Tempering Orchid.
At this moment, Zhou Hu’s longsword was stained with blood as he fought three Ice Armor Crocodiles alone. A frost-covered wound on his left shoulder was deep enough to expose bone, and his breathing was ragged. Yet his Sword Momentum remained fierce, keeping the three vicious crocodiles at bay, ten yards from the orchids.
"Vile beasts!" Zhou Hu roared, slicing off one Ice Armor Crocodile’s front leg with his sword and, with a backhand blow, knocking away another’s lunging bite.
He had tracked the Cold Jade Flood Dragon here, only to be pleasantly surprised by the discovery of the Ice Heart Bone Tempering Orchid. However, this had attracted its three guardian Demon Beasts. He had been fighting fiercely until now, and most of his Qi Blood was already spent. But with the orchid so close, he absolutely could not retreat.
Having failed his first attempt to break through, the difficulty of his second attempt would be doubled. He was determined to get the Ice Heart Bone Tempering Orchid and would not back down.
Just as he seized the chance to pick one of the orchids, suddenly—
SPLASH!
The center of the Cold Pool exploded as a dark blue flood dragon’s tail burst from the water, sweeping straight for Zhou Hu’s back. It was lightning-fast and exuded a bone-chilling cold.
The Cold Jade Flood Dragon!
The hair on Zhou Hu’s body stood on end. He forcibly twisted around, bringing his sword up horizontally in a desperate block, his Pile Skill on full display.
CLANG—
PTHOO!
The heavy blow from the flood dragon’s tail knocked the longsword from his grasp. Zhou Hu spat blood as he was sent flying backward, crashing into the cavern wall. He had no idea how many ribs he’d broken.
The three Ice Armor Crocodiles seized the opportunity, roaring as they pounced!
Just as Zhou Hu was about to be torn to pieces—SHIING!
A figure wielding a longsword shot through the air. Transformation Force erupted from him, instantly piercing the skulls of two Ice Armor Crocodiles. The third retreated in terror.
The white-robed figure, unstained by blood, landed gracefully. He stood by the orchids with his hands clasped behind his back. His face was handsome, his eyes indifferent. It was Yun Jinghong.
"A Tier Three Peak Demon Beast guarding this Spirit Grass. A fitting match," he said, glancing at the heavily injured Zhou Hu, his tone flat. "A pity. It’s mine now."
Zhou Hu struggled to lift his head, coughing up flecks of blood. "Yun Jinghong..."
"You’re already severely injured. Get out of the way if you don’t want to die."
After speaking, Yun Jinghong looked away from him and turned to the Cold Pool. The Cold Jade Flood Dragon had now fully emerged. Its Dark Blue Scale Armor was grim and cold, and its draconic eyes locked onto this uninvited guest.
Yun Jinghong pointed his longsword, and a rainbow of Sword Qi shot out, stabbing straight for the flood dragon’s head.
The Cold Jade Flood Dragon roared and spat a blast of Ice Breath to counter. The Sword Qi and Ice Breath collided, exploding into a sky full of ice crystals.
Yun Jinghong’s body swayed slightly, then his Transformation Force Cultivation erupted in full. His sword strikes became a relentless torrent, actually forcing the Cold Jade Flood Dragon into a steady retreat.
Just as the struggling Cold Jade Flood Dragon was being forced back, two slightly smaller Cold Jade Flood Dragons suddenly shot out of the pool.
Besieged by the three demonic flood dragons, even with his powerful Transformation Force, Yun Jinghong was temporarily locked in a stalemate. At that moment, Zhou Hu gritted his teeth, pushed himself up, and began to crawl toward the nearest Ice Heart Bone Tempering Orchid.
He wasn’t greedy. He just needed to pick one flower and then immediately flee.
"Hmph."
Just then, even while besieged by the flood dragons, Yun Jinghong managed to spare a sliver of his attention. He forcibly twisted around and slashed at Zhou Hu’s right arm from a distance, sending Vigorous Qi flying.
Zhou Hu desperately rolled out of the way, but he couldn’t completely evade the attack.
SCHLICK!
The Sword Force sliced across his back, drawing a bloody line. Zhou Hu grunted and collapsed. However, Yun Jinghong had been distracted and was nearly hit in the chest by the main flood dragon’s tail.
His eyes turned cold. His Sword Force surged, his swordplay becoming denser, each strike faster than the last. But he had lost the initiative and found it difficult to break away for the moment.
The lone surviving Ice Armor Crocodile saw its chance and lunged, jaws open, toward the dying Zhou Hu. A foul stench washed over him, and Zhou Hu could only close his eyes and wait for death.
’In the end, my gamble failed.’
BANG!
Just as the crocodile’s jaws were inches from Zhou Hu, a fist descended from above, slamming into its head. Its skull shattered, and a figure in green landed, shielding Zhou Hu.
Liang Cheng had arrived just in time. When he saw the Cold Pool, his heart stirred as he recalled the "Ling·Cold Pool" mark on the map.
But he had no time to dwell on that. His eyes fixed on the Cold Jade Flood Dragons, he pushed a Pill into Zhou Hu’s mouth with his free hand. "Senior Brother, swallow it."
Having escaped death’s door, Zhou Hu swallowed the Pill in delighted surprise and quickly warned, "Be careful... Yun Jinghong is here too. He’s a Transformation Force expert."
Liang Cheng nodded and turned to face the center of the conflict.
At that moment, Yun Jinghong had just forced back the demonic flood dragons. His white robes were now stained with blood, but his aura remained profound. He sized up Liang Cheng. "Another one from Yangwei Martial Arts Hall?"
"Just passing through, looking for someone," Liang Cheng said.
"You’ve found him," Yun Jinghong’s tone turned cold. "Take him, and get out."
Before his words even faded, the three Cold Jade Flood Dragons and the remaining Ice Armor Crocodile lunged again. One flood dragon and the crocodile even split off to attack Liang Cheng.
Yun Jinghong’s sword intercepted most of the beasts, but he deliberately let the flood dragon and the crocodile lunge toward the others. ’If Liang Cheng and his companion lack the strength to survive and die here, what does it have to do with me?’
A shroud of interweaving Ice Breath and frigid air enveloped them. While Zhou Hu was circulating his energy to heal, Liang Cheng advanced instead of retreating. He activated his Stone Armor Skill, and a grayish-white light flashed across his skin.
Perfect Stone Armor Skill (Fragment)!
BOOM!
His clothes were instantly covered in frost and his body shuddered for a moment, but in that instant, he had already shattered the Ice Armor Crocodile’s vital point with one punch. At the same time, he grabbed the Cold Jade Flood Dragon’s Reverse Scale and unleashed a burst of Dark Force comparable to Transformation Force.
HISSS!
Bloody scales were torn from the flood dragon’s body.
In just two breaths, both the crocodile and the flood dragon were injured and had retreated. Watching from the side, Yun Jinghong’s pupils shrank in shock. ’Even if I had been the one to act, I couldn’t have done much better.’
Yun Jinghong forced back the Cold Jade Flood Dragon he was fighting and suddenly asked, "What’s your name?"
"Liang Cheng!"
"Junior Brother Liang, there are six orchids." Yun Jinghong pointed to the Bone Tempering Orchids. "Let’s each take three. We team up and clear this place out. Otherwise, if this chaotic battle continues, neither of us will get anything."
Yun Jinghong had actually taken the initiative to make a friendly offer. Zhou Hu was so anxious he almost cried out. ’It’s like asking a tiger for its hide! He can’t be trusted! After all, he’s a Transformation Force expert; we have to be on guard.’
But Liang Cheng remained perfectly calm. "Alright."
The Demon Beasts roared, and the Cold Pool churned.
With his longsword in hand, Yun Jinghong’s gaze was as sharp as a blade. Liang Cheng stood tall, as steady as a mountain.
"Let’s move."
...
